3 – An Awful Quidditch Practise

Anna blinked once, twice, and then opened her eyes fully to be blinded by the sun. She had the absolute worst bed in the girls' dorm. In the early summer and late winter mornings she had the sun beaming right in her face, waking her up way to early. She rubbed her face in her hands and yawned loudly. Then she slowly got up, looking at the clock at the wall. It was barely seven.

If there were one thing Anna was known for in the girls' dorm, it was getting up early. No one else was ever up this early, but again, none of them had sun shining in their faces every day. But she didn't complain. She liked being up early, she felt she got most out of the day then and she had the shower all to herself.

After a quick shower, a brush through her hair and one touch of mascara she made her way down towards the great hall. She dumped heavily down at the table and dragged some cornflakes over to her plate. As always she sat down and ate breakfast before most of the school, alone, but today it seemed as if she wasn't the only one up this early.

"Ready for practise today, Harrington?"

She turned and saw James and Sirius standing right behind her. They were both smiling but looked as if they hadn't got much sleep that night.

"Err…" she just said. "It's a bit early to be up, ain't it?"

James shrugged. "Not really. We'll win the cup this year and it's already first week of term. We need to get started."

Anna yawned. "Okay then. What time?"

"Five," he said. "We also practise Monday, Wednesday and Thursday."

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "That's four times a week! Honestly, I have other things to do than Quidditch!"

James raised an eyebrow. "I guess I need to find myself a new seeker then."

"You could do that!" she said indifferently. "But if you want to win the cup, you need me!"

Sirius grinned. "It's true, Prongs!"

"Just try to show up," James said.

"Sure," she grumbled. "You know I wouldn't miss practise for anything in the world."

"Good. Look forward to seeing you."

Anna just nodded and turned to her toast again. She knew even if she said she'd only be there once a week, she'd still be on the team. Everyone who had been at tryouts the last few years had sucked on a broom and she simply was the best one.

"See you," James said.

Anna raised a hand and waved at them, still with her back at them and continued to eat.


"It's not good enough, Harrington!"

Anna groaned loudly and let go of the snitch. "Then you do it yourself, Captain!"

James sent her a gaze which told her to shut up and try again. She sighed and set off after the snitch.

She caught it near the goalposts and threw it roughly away in an attempt to let her frustration out. She decided to wait a little longer before going after it this time. She leaned over her broom and supported her arms on the end of it and put her head in her hands, hanging low over the ground. She watched as the two chasers tried to do some crazy moves James had invented during the summer.

"Harrington! Watch out!" one of the beaters called.

Anna turned her broom and looked towards him and saw a bludger whistle towards her. She was about to move when she felt it make contact with her foot and break it along with her leg. She screamed in pain and let go of the broom. Luckily she was only ten feet above the ground and the pitch was not as hard. She could feel tears in the corners of her eyes as she began to sob with whimpers of pain. She raised her head to look down at the bloody leg; she almost fainted as she could see some of her bone stick out. Someone landed next to her, but blinded by pain she could not see the person. The person hesitated for a second.

"Anna," he said. "Here, put your hand around my neck. We need to get you to the hospital wing."

Anna obeyed without saying anything, wondering for a second who he was, but found that she didn't care. She could feel him slide his one arm around her waist, and the other under her knees before he lifted her up in his arms; it hurt her leg. Afraid he might drop her, Anna flung the other arm around his neck, letting her head rest on his chest. He had a nice natural scent of man mixed with a bit of a fragrance she did not recognise. She felt as he started to walk up the ground towards castle, every step he took made a huge twinge of pain go through her leg and she gave a huge groan every single time and silent tears started to run down her cheeks.

She still had closed eyes with tears running from them as he pushed the doors open and walked through the entrance hall. As he begun to step up the stairs a couple of students stormed past them. One of them, apparently not seeing Anna's leg, pushed it slightly and she gave scream of pain.

"Hey!" he called towards them and the students and stopped. "Watch out please! Otherwise I'll make your leg look the same too!"

Anna looked up at the person who had run into her leg; he couldn't be more than second year, he trembled as he looked at her. She didn't dare to look down herself, afraid she might get sick or something, and quickly closed her eyes again.

"Idiots," he mumbled as he started to walk again. "You'd think they had no eyes in their heads, wouldn't you?"

Anna mumbled something she thought was incomprehensive, but he seemed to understand it and made a short bark-like laugh. She smiled weakly.

"But you're a tough one," he said. "Most girls would have fainted at the sight of that leg."

"It hurts like hell too," she said silently.

He laughed again. "Still got your sense of humour."

"I really can't make it go away."

He chuckled slightly. She couldn't understand how he could be in the good of a mood, she felt like dying.

"How does your leg feel now?"

"Terrible," she mumbled and tried to suppress the pain shooting through it at the moment; it didn't work and she gasped.

"We're nearly there," he said and pulled her a bit closer to him and she tightened her grip around his neck.

"Please don't drop me," she whispered, at this point unable to speak louder. "It hurts enough as it is."

"I won't," he said simply, and she trusted him.

At this point Anna's tears had stopped falling, and she dared to look down at her leg again. The whole shin was split up and two ends of the bone stuck out. She took her right hand up to her mouth, afraid of getting sick and closed her eyes again. She tried to concentrate on something else, but the pain in the leg seemed to take too much space in her mind.

He seemed to have noticed her reaction and started to walk a bit faster. Every time he took another step it gave a twinge of pain went through the whole leg and Anna broke into sobs again. At last he stopped and kicked the door into the hospital wing open and called for Madam Pomfrey.

Anna's vision started to get very blurred as she watched Madam Pomfrey storm out from her office and tell him to put Anna on a bed where she forced a lot of violet liquid down her throat. Anna closed her eyes one last time before she felt his fingers run comforting over her cheek. Then she felt herself drift into unconsciousness.


"Oi! You! Cox!" Lily called over a group of first years' heads.

A tall sixth year boy turned around, his brown eyes searching for the source of the call. He spotted Lily after a second. "Uhuh?"

Lily pushed her way over to him. "You're on the Quidditch team, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah…"

Lily smiled slightly to herself. She was on flying-teacher-hunt, and had just caught sight of Andrew Cox, chaser at the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He'd be great.

"Okay, this is embarrassing…" Lily mumbled. "I kind of need someone to teach me how to fly. Do you think you could help me?"

"Oh," Cox said. "I'm not sure. I'm kind of busy. James has made us train four times a week, and I'm prefect too. I've really too much under my nose at the moment."

"Okay then…" Lily said, cursing in her mind. "Do you know someone who could help me maybe?"

Cox shrugged. "I don't know. Anna Harrington?"

"Won't," Lily said shortly, remembering her friend's rejection.

"Sirius Black?"

"I'd rather be taught by a slug."

"James Potter?"

"Are kidding me? I'd prefer Black."

"James is the best flyer in whole Gryffindor. Why not?"

"You bloody well know why," Lily hissed.

Cox shrugged. "Then I don't know who could."

Lily thought for a while. This was not going well.

"But I've got to go," he said. "I've got practise in ten minutes."

Lily nodded and he walked away again. She looked around once more. None of these people in the Gryffindor tower were able to handle a broom, and she would not sink as low to ask Sirius. Or James for the matter of fact.

She slowly moved over to the window where she started to stare out over the Quidditch pitch. Anna and some third year were already flying around out there. James and Sirius stood down in the corner, talking and laughing.

A quarter of an hour later everyone was in the air and flying around. Sirius and the other beater, Zack Reese, were shooting bludgers towards the others; Andrew Cox and Brenda Powell were flying and shooting at the goals in which Yolanda Stevens was flying in front, trying to block the Quaffle from getting past her. James, on the other hand, was shouting at Anna who looked very annoyed.

Anna called something back which didn't seem to make James happier and he set of. Anna let go of the snitch and waited some time before she flew after it again.

Lily looked at James and the other two chasers who tried to make some crazy movements which made Lily laugh. She watched as Sirius shot a bludger towards Anna. Lily straightened a bit up to see. Anna didn't move; she watched the chasers, hanging low over the ground. Suddenly she turned at a call from Sirius, but too late. The bludger had made contact with her leg and she fell of her broom, screaming.

Sirius turned white as a sheet and set of like a lightening towards her, so quickly you could just see his red robes. He landed next to her. The rest of the Quidditch team had stopped too, watching Anna and Sirius. He picked her up from the ground and started to walk towards the castle. It was clear to Lily that Anna was crying. The thing Lily could see form this distance even made it hurt inside of her. It looked as if Anna's leg was snapped in two and the last piece just only hung onto the other part of the leg.

Lily got up, wanting to meet them somewhere on the way to the hospital wing. She rushed out and almost ran down the corridors. But she didn't meet them. She didn't meet them anywhere. She frowned and set of towards the hospital wing. She stopped outside and opened the door slightly. She saw Anna close her eyes and Sirius stroke her cheek once before he got up and looked at Madam Pomfrey.

"She'll be all right, won't she?" he asked anxious.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Of course she will. Now leave, she needs rest."

At that moment Lily opened the door. Sirius turned and looked at her.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Err…" Sirius said slowly.

"Will you please leave?!" Madam Pomfrey said stern. "Miss Harrington needs rest now!"

"But-" Lily tried.

"Now!"

Lily hurried out of the wing, succeeded by Sirius.

"What happened?" she persisted out in the corridor.

"Well…" he said slowly. "Anna didn't see a bludger I shot towards her and it crunched open her whole leg. I'm sorry." He truly looked sorry. And sad.

Lily nodded. "Is it bad?"

"Didn't you see it?" he asked surprised.

"No. Not at closer look."

"Be glad you didn't. You'd have fainted. Only tough people can even bear to look at it."

"Hey!" Lily exclaimed. "I am tough!"

"Yeah, right!" Sirius said and turned around. "See you Evans!"

Lily growled and turned towards the Gryffindor tower, deciding she needed some rest.¨


Mary looked down, not meeting his eyes. She could feel her hands were wet with sweat, but she couldn't dry them; he'd know she was nervous. Some stupid song was playing in the background.

"You sure you want to do this?" Remus asked.

She looked at him. His light blue eyes were filled with nervousness, just like hers and his hair looked as if it needed a comb. She smiled to herself. Remus had always been a 'good boy' with clean clothes and combed hair, but over the last year it had started to lack a bit. It was since the middle of his fifth year, it was also the time when he changed from being a shy little boy to being outgoing and smiley. It was also at that time Mary and him had started to talk and had become the good friends they were.

Mary nodded nervously. "Yeah… I'm just afraid I'll mess it all up."

"You won't," he grinned. "You never mess things up."

"But if I do," she continued. "Promise me not to laugh!"

Remus suddenly looked deadly serious. "You didn't laugh when James told you about this. I won't laugh at you."

Mary smiled. "Thanks," she said and truly meant it.

"Okay. Now, take my hand here."

Mary let her hand brush against her robes to get some of the sweat of it before she grabbed his hand. She swallowed. She was nervous she'd do everything wrong and then he'd think she was stupid.

He smiled slightly. "Just follow my lead."

"How do I do that?" Mary asked, embarrassed.

"I take one step, you take one step. Simple as that. Ready?" he asked and she nodded. "Then place you left hand on my shoulder."

She did and could feel his hand at her waist just after. She looked up at him with determination.

"Let's do this," she said softly.

He grinned. "Yeah."

He slowly took a step towards her and she took one backwards. She was so surprised by her own action that she stopped all next when he took a step and he bumped into her.

"Oh! Sorry!" she hurried to say. "I was just so surprised!"

"It's okay, Mary," he smiled and stepped away from her again. "We'll try again. Just don't be surprised when you do it right!"

Mary smiled and placed her hand at his shoulder again. "I'm ready."

"Good."

An hour later Mary walked through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor tower with Remus. She said goodbye to him and ran up the stairs to the girls' dorm. Inside she spotted Lily, who was sitting on her bed, white as a sheet and trebling. Mary frowned.

"What's wrong Lily?"

"Anna," Lily said, shocked. "She's in the hospital wing. Something with a bludger. It looked as if her leg had been snapped in two."

"Really?"


Anna slowly opened her eyes just to see Madam Pomfrey look down at her. She groaned loudly as she moved her leg. It didn't hurt as much as before, but still, it hurt.

"Glad to see you're awake, Miss Harrington," she said.

Anna slowly sat up. "How is my leg?"

"Fine. Just fine. Luckily young Mr. Black brought you straight away. A few more minutes could have done more harm to you."

"Black?" Anna repeated. "Sirius Black?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Yes. Now try to get up and walk a few steps."

Anna pushed the blanket of her and let her feet slide out over the edge of the bed, stepping onto the ground. She could feel a slight pain in her leg, but could walk.

"Ahh," said madam Pomfrey and clapped her hands together. "Yes, that was good. Here, take this potion and you can leave."

Anna swallowed a, this time blue, potion and turned to walk out of the hospital wing. She noticed she was still in her Quidditch robes and figured she had only been away for a couple of hours.

Out over the grounds she could see the sun set as she made her way back to Gryffindor tower. As soon as the portrait hole opened in front of her she saw a blur of red hair and could feel Lily's arms around her. Mary laughed behind her.

"Oh, Merlin, Anna!" Lily gasped. "We were so scared. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let us in to see you!"

"But I'm fine now Lils," Anna said. "I think I might go have a bath. I feel like I stink."

Lily and Mary nodded. "Sure."

They followed Anna up to the girls' dorm. She quickly grabbed some clean clothes and then went to the bathroom.

When she finished Mary and Lily were lying on her bed, reading one of her many magazines. They were giggling about some singer and his new hairstyle. Anna frowned slightly, remembering something.

"Umm…" she said slowly. "You haven't seen Sirius have you?"

"No, why?" Lily asked.

Anna shrugged. "Just need to talk to him."

"Maybe he's up in the boys' dorm with the other Marauders," Mary said quickly, eyeing Anna.

"Okay," she said slowly. "I'll be back in a minute."

She could feel Lily and Mary's eyes on her back as she made her way out the doors, but didn't care. She crossed the common room and climbed the stairs to the boys' dorms. She went up and softly knocked at the door as she heard voices in there; they stopped talking at once.

"Er, yeah?" James called.

Anna slowly put her hand on the handle and opened the door even slower. She pocked her head inside and saw James and Sirius grinning at something.

"Yeah?" Sirius asked.

"Err…" she just said.

James looked at her uninterested and Sirius slowly raised an eyebrow. Anna still didn't say anything.

"Come on, Harrington," Sirius said at last. "Just spit it out. It not like you to be struck dumb."

She could feel her cheeks turn red. "I just wanted to say thank you, Black," she said at last and scratched her neck uncomfortably. "You know, for the help with my leg and all that stuff."

Now it was Sirius' turn to blush a little. "Oh, it really was nothing."

"Yes it was," she said quickly. "It must have been hard to carry me all the way up there and it was really sweet of you."

"No really," Sirius said. "I couldn't just leave you lying there, bleeding to death or something."

Anna made a faint snort but replaced it with a slight smile to him instead. "But thanks anyways."

"You're welcome."

"Then I'm just gonna go now."

Sirius and James both raised a hand as she moved out the door. She could hear they started to talk again as soon as the door had closed. She began to walk back.

Just had she started to walk down the stairs down to the common room when someone came running behind her.

"Oi, Harrington!"

Anna turned and faced Sirius. "Yeah?"

"I just figured you needed your broom back." he asked and held out her broom.

"Oh, thanks," she said and took it slowly. "I almost had forgotten about it."

"Well, now you have it. See you around, Harrington," he said and turned to walk up the stairs again.

"Yeah. And one last thing?" Anna called.

"What?"

"Call me Anna," she said with a slight smile. "Just like you did today. Calling me Harrington makes me feel like we're Lily and James."

Sirius grinned at her. "Sure. But only if you call me Sirius!" he said and winked.

"Deal!" she grinned.

He shook her hand in a mock posh way and bowed to her and she laughed. He gave her a last glance before he ran up the stairs and disappeared out of sight.